Nineteen people were confirmed dead in an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude in south west China on Wednesday. However, China’s National Commission for Disaster Reduction estimated around 100 people could have been killed based on census figures in the area, AFP reported. More than 250 people were injured, Xinhua reported.
There were two immediate aftershocks in the region, measuring 5.2 and 5.3 on the Richter scale.
The earthquake occurred close to Jiuzhaigou, a Unesco heritage site that attracts thousands of tourists each year. Five of the people confirmed dead are tourists, and many more may have been killed. Around 31,500 tourists were relocated, and that at the time, 34,000 people may have been visiting the valley that is designated a national park.
In 2008, an earthquake of 8 magnitude had hit the same region, in which 87,00 people had died or gone missing.
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